Unexpected
by owlwayssandforever
Summary: She had only ever wanted to go to Hogwarts, but things change, and now Alicja must navigate beginning her education someplace she never expected to be... Durmstrang.


**House: **_Ravenclaw_** | Year: **_1_** | Category: **_Standard_** | Prompt: **_[Setting] Durmstrang Institute (Northern Europe)_** | Word Count: **_1944 (per Google Docs w/o A/N and translations. 2030 including all.)  
_Hogwarts School Insane Prompt Challenge | House: Gryffindor | Prompt: 482 - [Setting] Durmstrang_  
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**A/N: **_Time period shift so that Viktor/Lightning Era is at school during present-day. Takes place before the Triwizard Tournament._

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It wasn't fair. She ought to have been allowed to go to Hogwarts like her brother. Alicja had lived in England her whole life - had been _born_ there. She had grown up expecting to go to Hogwarts, like Aleksi, like her mother. Alicja had listened to stories about her mother's time at school, and then the stories her brother told her about his classes, his friends, everything. And she had expected to get her chance, to be sorted into her house (Aleksi had been a Gryffindor, of course, but Alicja thought she would be a Ravenclaw). It was her _birthright_.

But then things had started to change in England; her mother and father whispered a lot more behind closed doors. Other children in their town gave her dirty looks and told her she was filthy and stupid and unwelcome. It frightened her, but Alicja told herself that Hogwarts would be different, Hogwarts would be _better_. Except she never got to find out, because her father announced that they were going to move to Poland, to his hometown of Lódź. Aleksi would finish his schooling at Hogwarts, since he only had two more years anyway, but Alicja would be attending Durmstrang. It was safer to be among their own people, they told her.

So they had moved as soon as Aleksi got home for the summer holidays, and when it came time for Alicja to begin school, her parents had gone with her to Gdańsk, where she would board a ship bound for Durmstrang. Alicja wasn't the type to kick and scream, instead she held her head up high as she prepared to walk across the gangway, but her heart was breaking inside.

"Kochanie, będzie dobrze," her mother said, giving her a squeeze. _It will be alright._

Her father was stoic as he bid her farewell, and her mother hugged her tight, not wanting to let go. But Alicja had to go, she had to start her new life. She took a deep breath and crossed the gangway to the small ship that awaited her, joining the handful of other students that were already onboard. She waved goodbye to her family one more time before a whistle blew, indicating that it was time to move inside. Alicja pressed her face to one of the portholes, watching as her family grew smaller, the ship pulling away into the Baltic Sea.

When they were out of sight of the port, a sucking sound bombarded their ears, and the ship began to sink into the sea, eliciting a feeling of panic from deep in Alicja's chest. Her fingers gripped the metal rim around the porthole, knuckles turning white as the bone strained against buttercream skin. Dark, swirling waters rose around the ship, climbing the porthole like some horrible, shrouding vine. Once they were fully submerged, and the light no longer filtered through from above, Alicja let out a breath. There was nothing to do now but wait. The other students peeled away from the windows as well, meandering in different directions, and Alicja grabbed her bag to find somewhere she could sit.

She found a little lounge area by the bow of the ship, with wide windows that looked out into the sea in front of them. Alicja could see little fish darting back and forth across the window, and occasionally a seal would dive in front of them. After some time, she saw a large shadowy mass in the distance, undulating through the water ahead of them, and she thought it might be a whale, and a very large one from the look of it. Her eyes grew wide as she watched the wildlife pass by, having never seen animals of this kind outside of an aquarium (and this was so wonderfully different). As they drew closer to their destination, the marine life became more magical. She could see little boginka playing in the shafts of light piercing the water, long fingers reaching out to tickle each other and laughter floating to the surface in little bubbles of sound. Larger merpeople, not unlike those of English lore, drifted between them, watching the ship as it pushed on towards Durmstrang.

Eventually, the ship came to a slow, creaking halt, still submerged. The students on board began to gather by the entryway, and Alicja could hear a suctioning noise from the doorway, as well as the whoosh of water being expelled along the side of the ship. The door opened with a small _pop_, and the students pressed forward into a walkway. As Alicja stepped on it, she gasped in amazement. The water had parted over the walkway, forming a little tunnel of air for them to pass through. The Baltic Sea was draped around her like a thick satin blanket, cold and smooth. Alicja reached out a hand to touch the water, which danced around her fingers as if it were a living creature itself. She smiled for the first time since leaving her family, and followed the other students.

Across the walkway, they entered a damp cavern, the stone slick with water and algae, and Alicja tried very hard not to wrinkle her nose as she ghosted one hand along the wall to keep from slipping. They ascended a curving set of stone steps, so worn from the years of feet pounding on them that they looked almost as if they had been created by the smooth ebb and flow of waves. At the top, they spilled out into a banquet hall, with stone walls that had been painted white and a dozen round tables spaced throughout the room. Thick, crimson velvet curtains hung from the windows, designed to keep the cold out, so the castle was as warm as possible. A heavy black rug occupied all but the outer edges of the floor, where dark mahogany boards could be seen running underneath. The effect was much warmer and more pleasant than anything Alicja had expected of Durmstrang.

Most of the students had already arrived and settled into their seats, the ship from Gdansk being the last one ferrying students to school. Alicja had no idea where to go, unsure whether there was some procedure for where new students should sit or how to divide themselves. At Hogwarts, she would have been sorted into her house and then gone to sit at the house table, but here, she wasn't sure. _There couldn't possibly be a dozen houses, could there? And surely if she were going to be sorted, someone would have come to tell her by now?_ She felt so out of place, the only new student who didn't come from a long line of Durmstrang alumni, and it made her so nervous that she thought she might cry. But, as her father always said, you must have a stiff upper lip. So Alicja took a deep breath and cast her eyes about for a place to sit.

An older boy with close-cropped hair and dark, heavy-set eyes sat alone at one of the round tables. A few of the younger students approached the empty seats on either side of him, but he quickly fixed them with an intimidating stare, and they promptly turned away. Alicja hesitated as she drew closer to him, casting her eyes around the room for another place to sit. But she had no idea where she was supposed to go. She drew her lower lip between her teeth, chewing at it anxiously, and found the tip of her braid with her fingers. And when her eyes roamed back toward the stern-looking boy, she found him looking at her with curiosity and a certain kind of understanding. He inclined his head slightly toward the seat to his left, and Alicja only paused briefly before moving toward it and accepting his offer.

"Viktor," he grunted, still looking around the room from beneath dark, hooded eyelids. "The other seat is for Ilya."

She nodded, accepting his invitation even though she had no idea who Ilya was or when they might show up.

"My name is Alicja," she said quietly, not sure what else she could say. She pulled her coat a little tighter around her small frame as she looked around the room. Everyone was sitting now, buzzing idly and waiting for something to happen.

Suddenly, music burst into existence, filling their eardrums with an imperial sounding march. The doors of the hall swung open once more, revealing a double line of professors. They promptly began processing through the hall, stern-faced, and they peeled off, each one taking a seat at one of the round tables. Toward the end of the line, the youngest professor seemed to have a difficult time keeping a straight face, more inclined to smile at all the students he passed. The young professor took the seat next to Viktor, and offered their whole table kind smiles. When all the professors had joined a table, one last figure remained, cutting a path through the entire hall. He had a pointy goatee and thin, wiry hair that had started to turn from black to grey. Despite the welcoming smile on his face, his eyes were cold and hard, like little slate discs. He walked through the whole hall before coming to a stop by a table at the front.

"Welcome!" he proclaimed, his voice ringing through the hall. "To Durmstrang! Let another year commence!"

He clapped his hands twice, and it was the signal all the older students needed to begin reaching for the pots of food in front of them. As the lids were removed, Alicja could see stews and thick sauces, all steaming hot. She recognized bigos and żurek from her mother's cooking, and there was a reddish colored stew that smelled strongly of garlic next to it. Her eyes landed on a dish with a bright orange sauce over chicken, and she could feel her mouth watering, longing to try the dish.

"Paprikás," Viktor said, as he reached out and took a piece of chicken from the tray, dropping it onto his plate. "Quite good, but a bit strong." He offered a piece out to Alicja, and she nodded excitedly, eager to try this new dish.

"So, you've found someone worthy of filling the empty seat," the professor teased Viktor, smiling at Alicja. "Hello, I'm Ilya Daskalov, I'm a new professor here. What's your name?"

"Alicja Ostrowski, sir, it's very nice to meet you," she replied politely. "Does everyone here speak English?"

Viktor grinned and Ilya laughed lightly, both seemingly amused by her question, which only confused her more.

"Only a few speak English," Viktor explained, his dark eyes settling on her. "The castle translates for us all. We come from so far away, so many different languages, it is necessary."

"But we still offer courses in other languages!" Ilya hastened to add, his enthusiasm for teaching clear. "As electives for older students."

They continued talking throughout the meal, and Alicja learned that Viktor was from Bulgaria and he loved quidditch, and that he and Ilya had been friends from Viktor's first year at Durmstrang, despite being a year apart. She learned that Durmstrang had a dark and painful history that stained its reputation, but most of the students were kind and noble people, no different from the students at Hogwarts. The classes would be fascinating, and Viktor promised to help her whenever she needed, so at least she had one friend. And it was nice, in a way, to see her family's culture and history reflected in the school, from the food to the coursework.

Maybe Durmstrang would be alright after all. Maybe it could be her home.

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Translations

_**Kochanie, będzie dobrze.**_ \- It will be alright, my love.  
_**Bigos**_ \- Polish hunter's stew, made from meat/sausage and sauerkraut/shredded cabbage  
_**Żurek**_ \- Polish rye soup, made with sourdough rye flour  
_**Paprikás**_ \- Hungarian chicken dish made with a sweet paprika-infused sauce  
_**Stufat**_ \- Romanian stew made with lamb, onion and garlic (referenced as reddish in color and smelling strongly of garlic)


End file.
